Fukuyama City

Congratulations on your JET placement in Fukuyama! This is a work-in-progress unofficial wiki page meant to provide a bit of helpful information while you prepare for your adventure in Japan.

History
What is today the city of Fukuyama was founded as a castle town in 1619 by Mizuno Katsunari, a cousin of shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. Mizuno was given command of a territory in western Japan consisting of southern Bingo Province and southwestern Bitchu Province. He built a new castle-town as his capital and called it Fukuyama.

After the abolition of the han system in 1871, Fukuyama Prefecture was founded. A short time later the prefecture was renamed Fukatsu. Fukatsu Prefecture was merged with Kurashiki Prefecture in 1872 to form Oda Prefecture. In 1875 Oda Prefecture was merged into Okayama Prefecture.

When the border between Hiroshima and Okayama prefectures was re-arranged in 1876, Fukuyama Town became a part of Hiroshima Prefecture.

Fukuyama Town became Fukuyama City on July 1, 1916. The population of the city at that time was 32,356.

Bombing of Fukuyama Station, 9 August 1945

On August 8, 1945 (two days after the atomic-bombing of Hiroshima), 91 American B-29 bombers made an air raid on Fukuyama, destroying much of the city.

Fukuyama was named one of the core cities of Japan on April 1, 1998.

Events
Fukuyama is home to a variety of special events and festivals throughout the year.

Rose Festival
Easily Fukuyama's biggest event! Roses, food, performers, paraders, and more! http://fukuyama-matsuri.jp/bara/

Fireworks
Fireworks displays can be seen in the Tomo area in late May, and over the Ashida river in late summer.

Otebi Fire Festival
On the Saturday night before the 2nd Sunday of July, 150kg wooden torches are carried up flights of steps in this extremely wild (and dangerous) festival in the Tomo area. Highly recommended for adults but perhaps a bit too hot for kids.

Dining
S ee Fukuyama's  dining  page.

Restaurants
Fukuyama is blessed with an impressive variety of high-quality Japanese and international restaurants. For more detailed information s ee Fukuyama's  dining  page.

Liquor Stores
There are a small number of excellent liquor shops around the city that offer domestic, international, and rare bottles. Click here for a bit more info.

Access
New Fukuyama JET ALTs will be picked up at Hiroshima airport by a city hall official and driven to city hall or directly to their new homes depending on time of day. For others, the airport has a regular bus service to and from Fukuyama city.

Cars
Fukuyama has excellent and affordable public transportation and most ALTs find that they have no need to purchase a car. That said, a few of us own vehicles for personal use. One important thing to bear in mind (out of many) is that your housing may not provide a parking space. There are many strict rules and regulations related to car ownership in Japan that may be different from your home country.

Trains
Many Fukuyama ALTs must take local trains to their schools. These ALTs will get detailed instructions on which train to take at what time to arrive at work punctually. Tickets can be purchased from computer terminals located directly in front of the entry gates. Alternatively, ICOCA cards can be prepaid and simply tapped when entering/exiting the gates. ICOCA cards are sold and recharged from the same computer terminals as paper tickets.

Shinkansen (Bullet Trains)
Luckily, Fukuyama station is also a Shinkansen stop. Tickets can be purchased inside the station, in a room to the right of the entry gates or from a computer terminal outside of said room. Depending on the type of Shinkansen you choose, a trip to Hiroshima city takes roughly 20 minutes and ￥4420.

Buses
The central bus terminal is conveniently located outside of Fukuyama Station. JETs will be provided with detailed instructions on how to go to their school(s) via bus. Tickets are taken from a machine inside the bus itself and must be paid in exact coinage at your stop. The bus driver will convert 1000 yen bills into coins if needed. Alternatively, PASPY and ICOCA cards can be prepaid and simply tapped when entering/exiting the bus. ICOCA cards are sold from computer terminals within the station.

Tickets for highway busses are best purchased in advance from the easily recognizable bus terminal building or the discount ticket vendor nearby.

Airport
Hiroshima airport can be accessed by bus or car (...or plane). There is no direct train line to the airport. From the bus terminal at Fukuyama Station it takes roughly an hour.

Shopping
Fukuyama is lucky to have a wide variety of shopping options, despite being fairly far away from Hiroshima city. 2016-2017 city ALTs have created a very thorough map of all of the major stores around the city, including groceries, restaurants, clothing, enternainment and more. You will be given access to this map when you arrive! Click here for a basic list of shopping locations around Fukuyama city.

Phones
You must have a phone with a 24/7 Japanese phone number during your time working in Japan. ALTs often tether their phones to their laptops for internet access in the BOE, so a data plan is highly recommended.

Click here for a list of phone options available to Fukuyama ALTs.

Health and Beauty
P lease see the  health and beauty page.

Health and beauty care are naturally big concerns for any expat. All JET ALTs are required to enroll in the Japanese national healthcare program. Additional private insurance is available but generally considered superfluous.

For more detailed information on Fukuyama's hospitals, doctors, dentists, specialists, hair stylists and barbers, please see the health and beauty page.

Banks
While most Fukuyama city JET ALTs prefer banking with Japan Post (ゆうちょ) because of its proximity to city hall, English ATMs, familiarity with setting up expats, and nationwide availability, an ALT can choose any bank of their preference. A city hall issued Proof of Address form and an updated Foreign Residence card (在留カード) are required for setting up a bank account.

ATMs
It may come as a surprise to many newcomers that most Japanese ATMs have strict (read: inconvenient) operating hours. For example, the standalone ATM in Honjocho area is only active from 08:00 to 17:00 on weekdays, 08:00-12:30 on Saturdays, and is closed on Sundays. Seven-Eleven ATMs are open 24/7 but charge a withdrawal fee.

Post Offices
JapanPost used to be operated by the federal government but was privatized in 2007 after a major political battle. Fukuyama's largest post office is conveniently located adjacent to city hall. This location is open from 9am to 7pm on weekdays, 9am to 3pm Saturdays, and is closed on Sundays. It also has full JP banking services. There are many smaller JP offices scattered around the city (and country) though many do not have banking services other than a JP Bank ATM.

Remittance
Some ALTs need to send money back to their home countries regularly. There are many options available, but the most popular choices currently among Fukuyama ALTs are GoRemit and Transferwise. You can use JP Bank Remittance, but it requires paperwork to be filled out on each occasion.

An important thing to check before coming to Japan is whether or not your current bank account accepts international remittances. It is also worth mentioning that you may be blocked from sending large (￥100000+) amounts of money internationally until you have been in Japan for 6 months.

Entertainment
There's something for everyone in Fukuyama, including karaoke, movie theaters, bowling, and arcades. 2016-2017 JETs have created a very thorough google map of the city's entertainment, which you will be given a link to when you arrive!

Public Facilities
Fukuyama has excellent libraries, parks, gyms, sports facilities and event venues. 2016-2017 JETs have created a very thorough google map of the city's public facilities, which you will be given a link to when you arrive! Click here for a list of a few public facilities Fukuyama has to offer.

Fukuyama Museum of Art
http://www.city.fukuyama.hiroshima.jp.e.da.hp.transer.com/site/fukuyama-museum/ (English)

Fukuyama Museum of Literature
http://www.city.fukuyama.hiroshima.jp/site/bungakukan/ (Japanese)